Phone tapping: SC notices to Amar Singh, Mulayam

New Delhi, Feb 7: The Supreme Court today issued notices to former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh on a petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against the two for making derogatory remarks against judges during their conversation with an industrialist.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices R V Raveendran and J M Panchal also issued notices to Mr Amar Singh on an application seeking vacation of a stay restraining the media, particularly electronic media, from telecasting or publishing the contents of alleged shady deals involving Mr Singh and some industrial houses and also people with dubious antecedents.

A bench headed by former Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal had earlier restrained the media from telecasting and publishing the contents of the conversation, holding that it was an attack on the privacy of a person.

Mr Prashant Bhushan, counsel for the petitioner, pleaded before the court that the way of recording such a conversation may not be proper but if the conversation reveals illegal and shady deals then it is in the public interest to expose such conversation.

The people who were involved in such activities must be exposed and should also be prosecuted in accordance with the law for their acts of omission and commission.

The matter relates to the phone tapping of Mr Amar Singh by the authorities. Both the leaders have been exempted from making a personal appearance.